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"Steam, are you okay? Steam? Steaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!"

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesrelease-datesteamThu, 18 Dec 2014 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/31/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-gets-permanent-price-cut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/31/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-gets-permanent-price-cut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/31/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-gets-permanent-price-cut/#comments
Konami announced a permanent price drop for Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes this week, cutting the game's cost down to $19.99 on all platforms. Ground Zeroes is now priced at £19.99 and €19.99 in Europe as well. The game will reach Steam on December 18.

Acting as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and also set after the events of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes took players through a rescue mission as series hero Snake. Ground Zeroes launched in March for $30, and according to our review was "also 30 bucks for one hell of a cliffhanger" as the game wound up "teasing more than it satisfies." The next proper entry in the series, Metal Gear Solid 5, will launch in 2015.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-ProductionsKonamimetal-gear-solidmetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationprice-cutprice-dropps3ps4xboxxbox-oneFri, 31 Oct 2014 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/kojima-discusses-collaboration-with-del-toro-for-silent-hills/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/kojima-discusses-collaboration-with-del-toro-for-silent-hills/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/kojima-discusses-collaboration-with-del-toro-for-silent-hills/#comments
Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima confirmed that the interactive horror game unvealed during Sony's Gamescom 2014 press conference is indeed Silent Hills, a new, pluralized game in Konami's Silent Hill series. Kojima is working with Hellboy director Guillermo Del Toro on a game that will make players "shit their pants," as Kojima said through a translator during Konami's livestreamed Gamescom event today, joking that a limited edition version of of Silent Hills will include an extra pair of slacks (you know, for all the pants-shitting you'll be doing).

The interactive teaser, now available on PSN, was briefly discussed during Sony's event yesterday under the name P.T. As it turns out, that only stood for "Playable Teaser," as there's "no deep meaning into it." Kojima clarified, "you see all these trailers and teasers, but it is a game so I wanted to have something that was really interactive that you could play through and after playing it, clearing something, you will finally get to the IP or title or whatever it was."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamesCOMgamescom-2014hideo-kojimahorrorits-pluralKojima-Productionskonamip-tptsilent-hillsilent-hillsteaserWed, 13 Aug 2014 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-ground-zeroes-coming-to-pc-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-ground-zeroes-coming-to-pc-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/13/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-ground-zeroes-coming-to-pc-steam/#commentsUpdate: In a video featuring Snake sneaking around in a box stamped with the Steam logo, Hideo Kojima has officially announced Metal Gear Sold 5: The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes is coming to PC. The announcement was made during Konami's special Metal Gear Preview Party, broadcast on Twitch. No release date was revealed, only that Ground Zeroes would release first.

Though the press release Konami Europe's site is pointing to is no longer found online [link], we've discovered a text snippet of the announcement:

Tonight's MGSV:TPP Preview Show revealed; with a twist of METAL GEAR SOLID humour, that MGSV: THE PHANTOM PAIN and GROUND ZEROES will be available on Steam, release date yet to be disclosed. The event featured a surprise message from Kiefer Sutherland; the voice of 'Snake', announcing an exclusive gamescom pre-order deal. Fans who attended received vouchers offering a 5 EURO discount on the PlayStation(R)4 and Xbox One versions of MGSV:TPP. This pre-order deal is also available at the KONAMI booth (Hall 7.1) - so if you're planning to visit gamescom, be sure to swing by! We'll be announcing more pre-order deals over the next few months, stay tuned.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain had previously only been confirmed to arrive for Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360. Ground Zeroes, the prologue to The Phantom Pain's story, was released earlier this year.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2014Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4the-phantom-painxboxxbox-oneThu, 19 Jun 2014 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/seen-e3-a-visual-history-of-metal-gear/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/seen-e3-a-visual-history-of-metal-gear/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/seen-e3-a-visual-history-of-metal-gear/#comments
The walls outside the theater of Konami's E3 2014 detail a visual history of one of the company's most famous franchises. One poster showcases the evolution of Snake from his days as a bundle of pixels on the MSX to the gruff, high-res hero in Kojima's upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Another poster gives players a history of its various weaponized tanks, the titular Metal Gears. A third poster breaks down the environments Snake has infiltrated over the years.

For fans, it's a wonderful display of the stealth-action franchise's history and something we had to try very hard not to steal to put on our walls at home. Thankfully, Konami released high-resolution images of each poster. Time to go to the printer!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>E3-2014Hideo-KojimaKojima-Productionsmetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps4the-phantom-painxbox-oneThu, 12 Jun 2014 14:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/mgs5-ground-zeroes-ships-1-million-across-all-platforms/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/mgs5-ground-zeroes-ships-1-million-across-all-platforms/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/mgs5-ground-zeroes-ships-1-million-across-all-platforms/#comments
Konami announced that its Metal Gear Solid 5 prologue, Ground Zeroes, has shipped over one million units worldwide since its launch last month.

The milestone accounts for all copies shipped on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3 in all regions. Developer Kojima Productions confirmed this week that Ground Zeroes' formerly console-exclusive gameplay modes will hit all available platforms on May 1 as free downloadable content.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes takes series protagonist Snake, now played by Kiefer Sutherland, into an open world - with mixed results, according to our review.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlchideo-kojimakojima-productionsmetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneThu, 24 Apr 2014 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/24/infamous-second-son-beats-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/24/infamous-second-son-beats-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/24/infamous-second-son-beats-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-to/#commentsInfamous: Second Son racked up the second-best first week for a PS4 game in the UK, only placing behind launch title Killzone Shadow Fall. Those sales were enough to ensure the system exclusive took the UK No. 1 ahead of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes this week, with last week's leader Titanfall titanfalling to third. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was the other big new release of the week and the re-polished PS3 and Vita game took fourth.

February and March's swathe of big-name games has finally given the UK charts a more current feel: Eight of this week's top ten were released in 2014, and most of those only in the last few weeks. The two lingerers from last year? Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition and, no surprises, FIFA 14.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dschart-trackchart-track-weeklyKojima-Productionskonamimicrosoftnintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ps4Sony-Computer-Entertainmentsucker-punchukvitawii-uxboxxbox-oneMon, 24 Mar 2014 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/13/kojima-toyed-with-similar-design-to-gta-3-back-when-it-was-relea/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/13/kojima-toyed-with-similar-design-to-gta-3-back-when-it-was-relea/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/13/kojima-toyed-with-similar-design-to-gta-3-back-when-it-was-relea/#comments
Speaking to Joystiq, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima said that around the time Grand Theft Auto 3 was released, he and his team tried to create "something similar" to its open-world design. Kojima didn't note to what extent that something similar was worked on, nor which project it was for, but he did say it wasn't up to the standard of Rockstar's crime sim.

The Japanese veteran designer presented GTA creators the Houser brothers with lifetime achievement awards at last night's BAFTA ceremony in London. Kojima has previously spoken about being influenced by the vastness of GTA 3, telling EGM back in 2012 the game "definitely opened his eyes." After the awards show, we asked him if the GTA games had inspired the open-world design of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes.

"When GTA 3 came out, we were on Metal Gear Solid 2," Kojima said, speaking through a translator. "At that point we tried to create something similar and we were completely unable to come up with this design to [a level of] similar success. Actually, around then I had with dinner with Dan Houser who I just saw [tonight] for the first time after ten years. To be honest, looking at their [Rockstar's] success at doing what we tried to do and failed, we went back and made the game engine [and] we first tried to ensure the freedom the player would have. So more than being inspired by them, to be honest they just went ahead of us, they were more successful than what we were trying to create back then.

"Now, game-wise what we are trying to create [in Ground Zeroes] is something probably different than they are trying to create. We're trying to ensure the freedom so the player can do some more realistic stealth infiltration by having all this freedom. So I believe we're creating different games."

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is the first game in the stealth series to feature an open world, and Big Bosses worldwide get to explore it in a few days' time. The game hits North America on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3 on March 18, and then Europe on March 20.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bafta-awards-2014hideo-kojimakojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneThu, 13 Mar 2014 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/metal-gear-ground-zeroes-price-cuts-idroid-phantom-pain-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/metal-gear-ground-zeroes-price-cuts-idroid-phantom-pain-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/metal-gear-ground-zeroes-price-cuts-idroid-phantom-pain-dlc/#comments
"Kept you waiting, huh?" whispered Konami, before dropping a collection of news bombs this morning. For starters, the company announced a price cut to the physical PS4 and Xbox One versions of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes. Rather than costing $40, the two consoles' retail versions are now priced at $30. The company says it wants to "provide as many people as possible an opportunity" to play the game - awwwwwwww.

Other versions of Ground Zeroes remain at the same price; you can check out the game's still highly-convoluted pricing structure here. Incidentally, the price cut is matched in the UK, where PS4 and Xbox One retail versions will set Brits back £30.

In addition, Konami confirmed the previously speculated inclusion of Phantom Pain DLC with early purchases of Ground Zeroes. The codes, which include additional staff to utilize in Big Boss' Mother Base headquarters, which apparently plays a "central role" in The Phantom Pain, are available in the first batch of retail copies and for an undisclosed "limited" amount of time with download versions. In case you've been living under a rock or with bandages wrapped around your ears, MGS5: Ground Zeroes is being billed as the prologue chapter to MGS5: The Phantom Pain.

If you'd rather wait before you Snake, the good news is all copies of Ground Zeroes have some integration with the Mother Base in The Phantom Pain. The POWs and VIPs you rescue in the prologue will carry over to the follow-up, as will character skins you unlock.

Finally, it wouldn't be Metal Gear without some peripheral capers, and if you so choose you can download a free second-screen "iDroid" app on iOS and Android to use with the game. The app, which is integrated into SmartGlass for Xbox, lets you view maps, play cassettes you discover, and summon air support in the game ... Oh, the game! Yes, the small matter of Ground Zeroes itself arrives on March 18 for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneTue, 25 Feb 2014 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/mgs5-ground-zeroes-transcends-generations-in-platform-compariso/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/mgs5-ground-zeroes-transcends-generations-in-platform-compariso/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/mgs5-ground-zeroes-transcends-generations-in-platform-compariso/#comments
You've seen the frame-rates and resolutions for Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, now see the frame-rates and resolutions in Konami's new comparison video. Rather than dwell on the differences in p between Xbox One and PS4, it focuses on cross-gen enhancements between PS3 and PS4, and Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

One thing it doesn't touch on is the price difference. When the prologue to MGS5: The Phantom Pain hits on March 18, a download version will set you back $20 on Xbox 360 and PS3, and $30 on PS4 and Xbox One, with physical copies priced at $30 and $40 respectively.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneWed, 19 Feb 2014 10:43:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/hideo-kojima-defends-mgs-ground-zeroes-reported-two-hour-lengt/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/hideo-kojima-defends-mgs-ground-zeroes-reported-two-hour-lengt/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/hideo-kojima-defends-mgs-ground-zeroes-reported-two-hour-lengt/#comments
Metal Gear Solid series director Hideo Kojima has issued a statement addressing concerns over the length of the coming Metal Gear Solid 5 prologue chapter, Ground Zeroes, assuring that the final product will encourage replay due to its "freedom of approach and play style."

A report from the latest issue of Game Informer peggedGround Zeroes' campaign at around two hours in length. Kojima explains that the game's breadth of content, which includes a collection of side missions and an online-ranked trial mode, will keep players occupied long enough to justify its $40 retail price point.

"This is not a linear game like the past," the statement reads. "[Ground Zeroes] offers freedom of approach and play style, which we hope players will enjoy over and over without [becoming bored]. I believe people will be satisfied with the 'Play Time' of Ground Zeroes and not stress the 'Clear Time,' which is a standard for linear games."

Kojima Productions' Jordan Amaro backed up Kojima's statement, comparing Ground Zeroes to brief but satisfying indie experiences such as Journey and Dear Esther. "I want people to celebrate the new MGS like we used to," Amaro told GameSpot. "I'm not dismissing their concerns. But this [issue] has been trumped-up."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hideo-kojimakojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneThu, 06 Feb 2014 13:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/05/report-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-campaign-completed-in-tw/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/05/report-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-campaign-completed-in-tw/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/05/report-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-campaign-completed-in-tw/#comments
If you're expecting Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes to eat up time ahead of The Phantom Pain, you may be out of luck. In this month's issue, a Game Informer preview noted the standalone prologue's main campaign was completed in "just less than two hours."

"How quickly it takes to complete the main mission and explore the camp is up to the player," the preview said, "but the extra missions give the game a little more replayability."

You can find the full preview in this month's Game Informer, which goes into the side stuff available in the game's open world. That said, Ground Zeroes commands at best a $20 price tag for the downloadable Xbox 360 and PS3 version. If you want to get a physical copy on PS4 or Xbox One, you'll have to stump up $40 - we've got the full pricing details here.

Longevity lovers may look to The Phantom Pain, which series creator Hideo Kojima said has a map "hundreds of times larger" than the one in Ground Zeroes. We'd rather play Ground Zeroes ourselves before commenting - who knows how good those two hours are? Every Snake and his dog will be able to do just that when the game launches on March 18.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneWed, 05 Feb 2014 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/06/konami-investigating-metal-gear-risings-region-lock-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/06/konami-investigating-metal-gear-risings-region-lock-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/06/konami-investigating-metal-gear-risings-region-lock-on-steam/#comments
Konami is looking into region-locking concerns related to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on Steam. The news comes from a tweet recently issued by JP Kellams, a creative producer at Platinum Games. Kellams assured players that the "first thing I did in the office today was talk about the MGR region lock thing."

The game's Steam community includes a number of discussion threads questioning players' inability to give the game as a gift to others across the globe, locking Russian and Argentinian copies to those regions, as an example. One discussion noted that Ireland-based players were unable to access the game's page, but seemed to find a work-around by being gifted the game from other European countries. The PC version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will launch Thursday, and is currently 20 percent off on Steam until then.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>argentinairelandjp-kellamsKojima-ProductionsKonamimetal-gear-rising-revengeancemetal-gear-solid-risingpcPlatinum-Gamesregion-lockedregionsrussiaSTEAMMon, 06 Jan 2014 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/22/xbox-also-getting-exclusive-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-co/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/22/xbox-also-getting-exclusive-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-co/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/22/xbox-also-getting-exclusive-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-co/#commentsMetal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes will have exclusive content on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms, after Microsoft revealed Snake to be no more than a wanton two-timer. Just last week, Sony spilled that the licentious operative will feature in PlayStation-exclusive content, namely a Solid Snake skin and retro-enhanced Deja Vu mission,. Then during Spike TV's Xbox One launch show, we learned Snake is cavorting with Microsoft on "Xbox exclusive content," whatever filthy, filthy secret that may be.

Alright, let's stop the two-timing analogy there - it's not surprising to see both companies grab an exclusive piece of the Ground Zeroes pie, which Konami is serving up on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3 in spring 2014 as a standalone prequel to MGS 5: The Phantom Pain. As for what the Xbox-only content is, filthy as it may be, we'll have to wait and see.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftxboxxbox-onexbox-one-launchFri, 22 Nov 2013 15:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/watch-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-tgs-demo-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/watch-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-tgs-demo-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/watch-metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-tgs-demo-in-english/#comments
Following the Deja-Vu announcement, here's another bit of deja-vu: the Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes day gameplay demo from the Tokyo Game Show, but with English voices. Ground Zeroes is the separate prequel to MGS5: Phantom Pain, and it's due spring 2014 on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classic-snakedeja-vuhideo-kojimaKojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solidmetal-gear-solid--5-ground-zeroesmetal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesplaystationps3ps4solid-snakespike-ps4Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:54:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/04/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-breaks-cover-in-spring-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/04/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-breaks-cover-in-spring-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/04/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-breaks-cover-in-spring-2014/#comments
Konami will release Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes as a standalone prologue to MGS5: Phantom Pain next spring, and both games are confirmed to be coming to Xbox One, PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360. Konami UK tells us the packaged current-gen versions will be sold at £30, while downloadable versions are priced £20 on current-gen systems, and £30 on Xbox One and PS4; it's unclear if there'll packaged next-gen versions as well. While it's yet to be confirmed, we'd say that would translate into prices below $60 in North America. It's also unknown when Phantom Pain itself will be released.

The relationship between Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain has been as complicated as a Metal Gear Solid plot, but today's news brings some definite clarity to proceedings. Ground Zeroes was revealed first, then Phantom Pain cropped up after being teased as a game by fake outfit Moby Dick Studio. Once Phantom Pain was revealed to be a Metal Gear entry, it was then thought it and Ground Zeroes were part of the same game. Konami then stepped in to clarify they were two different games, and that brings us to today's resolution.

In the words of series creator Hideo Kojima, then: "The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential. As such, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes has been designed to introduce key elements, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game will offer."

Update: Konami revealed the US prices for Ground Zeroes: $20 downloadable and $30 packaged on current-gen, and $30 downloadable on next-gen. Again, going by Konami's wording it seems the game will be downloadable-only on PS4 and Xbox One.

"He will be a key member of our talented development community and be integral to ensuring that future titles will push the limits of what can be technically achieved, while ensuring they retain Konami's famed gameplay," Konami's European president, Shinji Hirano, told GamesIndustry International in a statement. "We welcome him and his talents to the team."

Merceron spent the last seven years under the Square Enix umbrella, where he served as CTO at IO Interactive, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics before ascending to the position of global technology director for Square Enix proper. Prior to joining Square Enix, Merceron also served a stint at Ubisoft as worldwide technical director throughout the late '90s.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fox-enginejulien-merceronkojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesthe-phantom-painFri, 04 Oct 2013 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/25/14-minutes-of-mgs-ground-zeroes-gameplay-opening-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/25/14-minutes-of-mgs-ground-zeroes-gameplay-opening-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/25/14-minutes-of-mgs-ground-zeroes-gameplay-opening-in-english/#comments
Konami released a 14 minute gameplay video of the Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroesopening, as shown by Hideo Kojima at the Tokyo Game Show - look to the 2:00 mark for a wonderful note of that. The gameplay vid follows on from the very first footage we saw back of Ground Zeroes, which is now understood to be a distinct prologue part of Metal Gear Solid 5, although details are unclear.

We first saw that opening sequence in Japanese back in September 2012. One year on, we've now got it in English, complete with added full-on Sutherland. Check it out below the break.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesplaystationps3ps4the-phantom-painxbox-oneWed, 25 Sep 2013 08:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/21/metal-gear-solid-5-almost-ditched-iconic-punctuation/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/21/metal-gear-solid-5-almost-ditched-iconic-punctuation/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/21/metal-gear-solid-5-almost-ditched-iconic-punctuation/#comments
The iconic "!" of the Metal Gear Solid series was almost dropped from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5, series creator Hideo Kojima revealed in an interview with Weekly Famitsu.

Kojima considered dropping the trope to help make the game more realistic, figuring that it could be replaced thanks to modern graphics capabilities. "Considering the console specs, it would have been possible to substitute with facial expressions and gestures," Kojima said.

Staff working on the game warned Kojima that removing the "!" would cause an "uproar," and Kojima opted to keep it in. In the same interview, Kojima also expressed a desire to embrace another series staple: "I want to include the cardboard box."

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Unless you're Snake's voice.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hideo-kojimaKojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftplaystationps3ps4the-phantom-painxboxxbox-oneSat, 21 Sep 2013 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/konami-unveils-la-studio-instrumental-to-metal-gear-solid-gam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/konami-unveils-la-studio-instrumental-to-metal-gear-solid-gam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/konami-unveils-la-studio-instrumental-to-metal-gear-solid-gam/#comments
Konami opened a new, Los Angeles-based branch of Kojima Productions today, expanding the sphere of mad scientist/game developer Hideo Kojima's influence to the shores of North America. The new studio, appropriately named Kojima Productions Los Angeles, will be "instrumental" to the development of a variety of games, but mostly the Metal Gear Solid series.

"Los Angeles is ground zero for the best studios, facilities and world-class talent, we are leaning on these local resources to build an incredible team to create gaming experiences that are just as compelling as any film or television show," Kojima said.

Kojima Productions LA will also be in charge of Metal Gear Solid 5's online multiplayer. Kojima recently told Joystiq during a MGS5 preview that he wants the Japan-based branch and LA-based branch to "kind of compete, but kinda co-operate and work together to form the true form of Kojima Productions." Kojima declined to say if said "true form" will be a giant robot dinosaur.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solidmetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftpcplaystationps3the-phantom-painxboxFri, 06 Sep 2013 14:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/27/metal-gear-solid-the-legacy-collection-trailer-bundles-snakes-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/27/metal-gear-solid-the-legacy-collection-trailer-bundles-snakes-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/27/metal-gear-solid-the-legacy-collection-trailer-bundles-snakes-i/#comments
See if you can spot the various Snakes in this trailer for Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection, which comes out in North America on July 9. We see Solid Snake, Naked Snake, Old Snake, Liquid Snake, Gaseous Snake, So Solid Snake, and Shake 'n Snake in there, and that's just for starters.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Kojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-the-legacy-collectionplaystationps3Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/25/kojima-seeking-studio-to-remake-metal-gear-solid-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/25/kojima-seeking-studio-to-remake-metal-gear-solid-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/25/kojima-seeking-studio-to-remake-metal-gear-solid-again/#commentsUpdate: Kojima has tweeted that "a rumor about remaking MGS1+2" is "not true," and that his statement "has been modified in the thread or something." Kojima further elaborated that he'd want to remake MGS1 and 2 in Fox Engine if possible, but that Kojima Productions is too busy with Metal Gear Solid 5 and "other prioritized titles."

"I wouldn't mind if talented creator from outside studio making this happen," Kojima said, though that is different from saying that he is actively seeking a studio to fill that role.

Original: Metal Gear series director Hideo Kojima is currently seeking a studio to remake Metal Gear Solid using the Fox Engine, Gamereactor UK reports. Kojima noted his interest during a recent roundtable interview, after a fan requested remakes for the first two Metal Gear Solid games.

The Twin Snakes, a 2004 remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, was developed by Silicon Knights during the studio's brief stint as a second-party Nintendo developer, and remains a GameCube exclusive. Series compilations like Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection feature the original PSone version of Metal Gear Solid.

While Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 were remade for 2011's release of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, the original game in the series continues to elude an HD makeover.

Kojima noted that some of Metal Gear Solid's mechanics would require updating for a potential remake, but gave no further details. Kojima previously expressed doubts that Metal Gear Solid could be updated for modern audiences, explaining that "It was a game made for a certain era -- not just the story, but the controls and everything about it reflect that era in which the game was made."

Originally scheduled for June, Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection will arrive via cardboard boxes to North and South America on July 9, publisher Konami announced this afternoon. The PlayStation 3 exclusive bundle includes Metal Gear Solids (or Metal Gears Solid?) 1-4, Peace Walker and VR Missions. The package is priced at $49.99.

The bundle also includes two Ashley Wood "digital graphic novels" and the 100-page art book featuring the series' marketing art over the past 25 years. The Legacy Collection was previously dated July 11 for Japan, and it appears to include the same items now announced for the Americas.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hideo-kojimaKojima-Productionskonamimetal-gear-rising-revengeancemetal-gear-solid-risingpcplatinum-gamesFri, 17 May 2013 08:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/konami-pre-e3-show-gives-the-scoop-on-mgs5-castlevania-on-june/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/konami-pre-e3-show-gives-the-scoop-on-mgs5-castlevania-on-june/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/konami-pre-e3-show-gives-the-scoop-on-mgs5-castlevania-on-june/#comments
Konami's third annual pre-E3 show is penciled in for June 6 at 1 p.m. ET, streaming live online via Konami's events site, on Gamespot and via the Xbox Live Gamespot app. For the second year in a row, Konami will show off a new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which was announced during last year's pre-E3 briefing.

Konami also plans to show off some behind-the-scenes footage of the next Pro Evolution Soccer game, and will have "new announcements" from Kojima Productions. Kojima recently made a splash with the Joakim Mogren marketing campaign for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Surely nothing will be able to compete with that.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2e3-2013Kojima-ProductionsKonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesmicrosoftpcplaystationpro-evolution-soccerpro-evolution-soccer-2014ps3the-phantom-painxboxTue, 14 May 2013 15:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/zone-of-the-enders-ps3-patch-incoming-enders-project-on-hold/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/zone-of-the-enders-ps3-patch-incoming-enders-project-on-hold/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/zone-of-the-enders-ps3-patch-incoming-enders-project-on-hold/#comments
Hideo Kojima recently put the brakes on the Zone of Enders sequel and revealed a patch is in process for the Zone of Enders HD Collection.

The Zone of the Enders HD Collection ran into a bit of drama when it was discovered there were some negative technical disparities between the original games on PS2 and their Xbox 360 and PS3 updates. Siliconera did the translation work of a recent podcast, where Kojima stated the team is reworking the game and will release a patch for the PlayStation 3 version. There's no mention of an Xbox 360 patch. No release window for the patch was mentioned.

Kojima also mentioned that "Enders Project," a sequel in the franchise, has had the entire team taken off of it. He is currently re-evaluating what to do with the series.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>enders-projecthideo-kojimaKojima-Productionskonamiplaystationps3zoe-hd-collectionzone-of-the-enders-hd-collectionFri, 03 May 2013 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/metal-gear-solid-5s-fox-engine-in-pictures/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/metal-gear-solid-5s-fox-engine-in-pictures/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/metal-gear-solid-5s-fox-engine-in-pictures/#commentsMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was the big news for Joystiq readers to come out of the Kojima Productions panel at GDC, but the studio also had a lot to say about the engine that powers the game, the Fox Engine. The talk involved a lot of technical terms we won't pretend to understand (linear workflow, something about "light probes"), but the pictures speak for themselves.

Fox Engine allows for some impressive visuals, fueled by some interesting technology. One key component is the ability to scan real-life objects or take pictures of them to easily create in-game models and textures. Kojima Productions created an in-engine mock-up of its own studio conference room, and the result was eerily similar to the real thing. Using an array of cameras, the studio was able to fully scan a little boy into the Fox Engine with surprising fidelity and drop him right inside the virtual conference room alongside Snake and an enemy soldier.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcgdc-2013kojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesthe-phantom-painThu, 28 Mar 2013 11:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-phantom-kojima/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-phantom-kojima/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-phantom-kojima/#commentsWhen Hideo Kojima unveiled the trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, he did so while wearing a head bandage like the one worn in the game by the character known as Ishmael. (He took the bandage off later, so we know it was him.) Joakim Mogren, as far as we could see, was not in attendance.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcgdc-2013hideo-kojimakojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-solid-5metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesthe-phantom-painThu, 28 Mar 2013 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/david-hayter-says-he-wasnt-asked-to-voice-metal-gear-solid-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/david-hayter-says-he-wasnt-asked-to-voice-metal-gear-solid-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/david-hayter-says-he-wasnt-asked-to-voice-metal-gear-solid-5/#commentsOne thing you should have noticed in the today's trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5 is the supposed voice work of Kiefer Sutherland. Sutherland is most certainly not David Hayter, previous voice talent for Big Boss and Solid Snake since the series' humble beginnings on PlayStation, who's indicated he won't be reprising a starring role.

"Well look, at least I had a good run," Hayter tweeted today, likely after seeing the news himself. He also replied "nope" to another Twitter user, who inquired if Hayter was asked to reprise his roles as voice actor. Snake losing his voice is quite a phantom pain in itself, except for the whole Kiefer Sutherland part.

Update: To clarify, the supposed voice of Sutherland can be heard from the bandaged man that is guiding Snake in the trailer, not Snake himself. Presumably, another voice actor has replaced Hayter.

Update 2: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.

Update 2: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Metal Gear Solid:Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.

As many suspected, The Phantom Pain is in fact a new Metal Gear game. It is Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions head Hideo Kojima revealed during a GDC panel today. Kojima told the audience that Metal Gear Solid 5 is made up of both Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, and the influences of both could clearly be seen in the trailer.

The game stars a Snake who has been in a coma for 9 years. Its opening section will be familiar to anyone who's seen the Phantom Pain trailer, as Snake wakes up in a hospital and must escape an unknown enemy. He's accompanied by a man with a bandaged face and a voice that sounds very much like Kiefer Sutherland. Naturally, it's pretty hard for Snake to stand up after 9 years of lying down, so most of his escape (and the GDC demonstration) is spent crawling on the floor.

Hallucinations seem to play a role in the game, as Snake spies a woman with a resemblance to Psycho Mantis mystically floating up an empty elevator shaft. The hallway is then engulfed in flame, and Snake and his new friend are accosted by a huge, intimidating man ... who soon spontaneously combusts and disappears. Whether these scenes are real or merely hallucination isn't quite clear.

The hospital section serves as a tutorial, after which the game proper begins. Today's demonstration was running on PC.

The Phantom Pain was revealed during the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards, with many immediately speculating that it was related to Metal Gear.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2013hideo-kojimakojima-productionskonamimetal-gearmetal-gear-solid-5the-phantom-painWed, 27 Mar 2013 14:09:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/freddie-wong-mashes-up-metal-gear-rising-and-american-psycho/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/freddie-wong-mashes-up-metal-gear-rising-and-american-psycho/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/freddie-wong-mashes-up-metal-gear-rising-and-american-psycho/#commentsThere's an idea of parody, a kind of abstraction at play here, but we can't see it. Maybe there is no real parody, only a joke, something illusory? Maybe you can even sense our humors are probably comparable? Oh, no? Okay then.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freddie-wongkojimakojima-productionskonamimicrosoftplatinum-gamesplaystationps3xboxSat, 16 Mar 2013 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/#commentsOnce you know what you're doing, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance goes from power fantasy to full-on power arrogance. Maniacal is the best way to play this cutting game, dashing into gunfire and shoving your sword through any obstacle, no matter its size or perceived deadliness. The supporting characters occasionally plead for planning, stealth, restraint - hesitation - but their calls come across as denial against the true nature of Revengeance. They're right in the middle of some seriously sexed up Fruit Ninja fan-fiction.

The silly portmanteau is the prelude to a starring role for Raiden, the formerly feeble stand-in for Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2. Following the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, which turned him into a twirling killing machine and redeemed him in the eyes of bros everywhere, the fair-haired cyborg works for a protection outfit called Maverick Security Consulting. Their first presidential client in Revengeance is butchered and thrown off a moving train, so I wouldn't recommend them.

After an ignominious defeat, Raiden's body is rebuilt with augmented strength, a pristine cyber-butt and a critical reliance on electrolytes, which must be absorbed from glowing enemy spines (unnaturally). It sounds gruesome, but extracting power cords in battle is a clinical process in the mind, and a brilliant hook for an action game.

Attendees of the San Francisco expo can look forward to "Photorealism through the eyes of a 'FOX:' The Core of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes," a talk which features a demonstration of Kojima Production's shiny new FOX engine, including discussion of its environmental changes, as revealed last September. Kojima will be joined by Ground Zeroes technical director Junji Tago, lighting artist Masayuki Suzuki, and CG art director Hideki Sasaki.

This is a rare coup for GDC; the last time Kojima spoke at the conference was back in 2009, when we were wondering if Metal Gear Solid 4 was coming to Xbox 360, and what "the next MGS" would be. Four years on, speculation lingers around the celebrated designer's long-running series after the curious reveal of The Phantom Pain. Whether or not Kojima chooses the venue of GDC to spill any stealthily concealed beans, the talk should provide more than a few exclamation marks to enjoy.

A pair of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance trailers attempt to sell us on the unique weapons and impressive technology of unmanned gears in the game. Instead they promise bosses with a flare for the dramatic (yes!) and robots who look like they're a shoplifter running out of The Leg Store.

There will be both action and stealth missions. Some missions will even allow players to control a Dwarf Gekko (AKA "the little ball robot with arms sticking out of it"). We're guessing those are probably stealth missions.